Question 1

When you increase your attention to something in your visual field, the part of your visual cortex sensitive to that area becomes __________.

Accepted Answer

When you increase your attention to something in your visual field, the part of your visual cortex sensitive to that area becomes more active, even before the object is consciously perceived. This is because attention enhances the neural response to the input, making it easier for the brain to process the stimulus.

Question 2

Mnemonic devices use visual imagery to facilitate

Accepted Answer

Mnemonic devices are memory aids that use visual imagery or other strategies to improve recall of information.

Question 3

Two disorders that lead to an impairment of memory are

Accepted Answer

Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by a thiamine deficiency often due to chronic alcoholism and affects memory as well as other cognitive functions. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that also leads to memory impairment and affects a larger range of cognitive functions as it progresses.

Question 4

One difference between expert and novice chess players that has been experimentally demonstrated is

Accepted Answer

The experimental evidence shows that experts in chess recognize and remember familiar patterns better than novices. The other options are not supported by empirical research.

Question 5

One example of a mnemonic device is

Accepted Answer

Using a series of locations to help remember a list of names is a commonly used mnemonic device, known as the method of loci or memory palace technique. This involves associating each item with a specific location along a familiar route, creating a mental image of each item in that location to aid in recall.

Question 6

Korsakoff's syndrome, a disorder characterized by memory loss and brain damage, is associated with a history of

Accepted Answer

Korsakoff's syndrome is primarily caused by chronic alcohol abuse, which leads to a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1). This deficiency can result in brain damage, particularly in the areas responsible for memory formation and recall. While individuals with depression, anorexia, and bipolar disorder may experience cognitive impairments, these conditions are not directly associated with the development of Korsakoff's syndrome.

Question 7

A psychologist administers the MMPI to a large group of people and identifies everyone who scores high on the schizophrenia scale as actually having schizophrenia. The psychologist plans to recommend drugs for everyone with a high score on that scale. Is that appropriate? If not, why not?

Accepted Answer

The psychologist has overlooked the base-rate information about schizophrenia, meaning that not everyone who scores high on the schizophrenia scale actually has schizophrenia. The base-rate information should be taken into consideration before any diagnosis or recommendation is made.

Question 8

Some people hold stereotypes about other groups of people. When asked why they believe in those stereotypes, they describe a few people they remember well who fit the stereotypes and ignore other people who do not fit the stereotypes. What error of thinking are they making?

Accepted Answer

The individuals in question are making use of the availability heuristic, where they rely on the most easily available and memorable examples to inform their thinking and decision making. This can lead to a biased and incomplete perspective that is heavily influenced by limited experiences and cognitive shortcuts.

Question 9

Unsurelock the detective knows that one of 20 suspects has committed a crime. He proposes to administer a lie-detector test to all 20 and to arrest anyone who fails the test. Which error of thinking has he made?

Accepted Answer

The detective has overlooked the base-rate information, which refers to the probability of a person from a particular group committing a crime. It is unlikely that all 20 suspects are involved in the crime, and the use of lie-detector tests may not be a reliable way of identifying the perpetrator. By failing to consider the base-rate information, the detective may be making an erroneous assumption that everyone has an equal chance of being guilty, which is not necessarily true.

Question 10

Use of the availability heuristic can lead to

Accepted Answer

The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut where people make judgments based on the ease with which examples come to mind. This can lead to illusory correlations or incorrect assumptions about the relationship between two variables based on the ease with which they come to mind. For example, if someone constantly hears news reports about crime in the city, they may overestimate the risk of being a victim of a crime even if the actual crime rate is low.

Question 11

A psychologist studying phonemes and morphemes is involved in the study of

Accepted Answer

Phonemes and morphemes are the smallest units of language. Therefore, a psychologist studying them would be involved in the study of language.

Question 12

An algorithm is

Accepted Answer

An algorithm is a method or process of problem solving, usually involving a set of rules or instructions that solve a problem step by step. It is commonly used in computer science and mathematics, but can also be applied to various fields such as natural language processing, decision-making, and cognitive psychology. It is not related to abnormality in brain waves, personality traits, or psychotherapy.

Question 13

Experienced readers identify familiar words almost automatically, and have difficulty when they try to avoid reading words as words. This is seen in

Accepted Answer

The Stroop effect is a phenomenon where identifying the color of a printed word is more difficult when the word itself is the name of a different color. This is because the brain automatically processes the meaning of the word, even though the task is to identify the color of the ink. This demonstrates how experienced readers have difficulty avoiding reading words as words.

Question 14

Saccades are short, quick movements of your

Accepted Answer

Saccades are quick, jerky eye movements that occur when your eyes rapidly change their focal point, allowing you to quickly scan your environment.

Question 15

Which of the following topics is currently the most controversial in the field of psychology?

Accepted Answer

The controversy surrounding recovered memories and their authenticity has been ongoing for years and continues to be a topic of debate in the field of psychology. The other options are not as widely debated or controversial within the field.

Question 16

Which of the following illustrates what is meant by the word-superiority effect?

Accepted Answer

The superiority effect refers to the phenomenon where people can process words more easily and accurately than individual letters. Choice B illustrates this concept.

Question 17

Confabulation--a tendency to make up and apparently believe unlikely answers to people's questions--is most frequently a symptom associated with

Accepted Answer

Confabulation is a common symptom associated with Korsakoff's syndrome, which is a neurological disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) often seen in chronic alcoholics.

Question 18

Eyewitness identification from lineups most closely resembles a test of

Accepted Answer

Lineup identification involves recognizing the perpetrator from a group of individuals, which is a form of recognition memory. Aptitude tests measure natural abilities, relearning involves learning something previously forgotten, and achievement tests evaluate knowledge or skills that have been learned through instruction.

Question 19

Which of the following is most closely related to algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that are similar to algorithms but don't always guarantee a correct solution. Both algorithms and heuristics are related to problem-solving and decision making. Electroencephalographs measure brain activity, narcolepsy is a sleep disorder, and catharsis is a psychological concept related to emotional release.

Question 20

Sometimes we will do something we normally wouldn't choose to do, but we do so because of the money or effort which we have already spent. This is termed the

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the question is known as the sunk cost effect, where individuals continue to invest in a project or activity because of the resources they have already spent on it, even if it is no longer rational or profitable to do so. The other options listed are different cognitive biases or errors that affect our decision-making in other ways.

Quiz Extenssion: S 1-16--Final Examination